The invention relates in general to riveting machines and more particularly to a pierce riveting machine capable of simultaneously pierce riveting sheets of material to the opposing flanges of channel shaped member.
Riveting machines of various types have been known for years. Most of the riveting machines are of the standard type wherein the material to be joined together has holes drilled into it and the rivet blank is inserted therethrough prior to heading up or flattening of the rivet's ends. The pierce rivet machine operates to drive the rivet through the material without drilling a hole in it first. After the rivet has pierced the material, it is headed up on an anvil positioned beneath the material.
Previous riveting machines have been developed that allow two rivets to be simultaneously headed up in work having a curved surface where the rivets have been inserted one after another in a line such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,227,402. The rams that accomplish the riveting operation of this machine are both mounted above the work piece being operated upon.
Another type of riveting machine which has simultaneous ram impact is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,269. This riveting machine utilizes separate rams impacting the opposite ends of a rivet simultaneously. The machine does not provide for simultaneously riveting two rivets at the same time.
Clearly a machine capable of simultaneously riveting several rivets from the same side of the work piece is not new. However, of all the prior art multiple riveting machines, none are capable of simultaneously riveting operations on the opposite flanges of a channel shaped member. Using prior art riveting machines to accomplish the purpose for which applicant's machine has been designed results in being able to only rivet on one flange of the channel shaped member at a time, which results in more than twice the work time required for the operation of applicant's machine.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel pierce riveting machine capable of simultaneously pierce riveting sheets of material to the opposing flanges of a channel shaped member.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a pierce rivet machine that is economical to manufacture.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel pierce rivet machine that can simultaneously pierce rivet the opposing flanges of channel shaped members of various widths.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a novel pierce rivet machine that can automatically feed the rivets to rivet holders both above and below the work piece.